This antipasto platter recipe is a crowd-pleasing celebration appetizer! It is loaded with flavorful Italian substances like cheeses, olives, and recent veggies.
Let’s make an antipasto platter! This Italian appetizer unfold is one in every of my favourite issues to serve once I’m internet hosting household and buddies.
Everybody (youngsters included!) loves making an attempt the completely different snacks and bites on the board—cheeses, veggies, olives, nuts, and extra. Typically, of us get pleasure from grazing a lot that there’s no have to serve a bigger meal.
As a number, I believe an antipasto platter is the perfect celebration meals. I can use a mixture of store-bought and do-it-yourself parts, and I can prep all of the do-it-yourself ones upfront. When company arrive, I simply assemble the platter and serve.
I’m sharing my greatest ideas for constructing an antipasto platter under, together with the parts I like to incorporate. Select a number of to make a board in your subsequent gathering. I promise it’ll be a success!
What’s antipasto?
Antipasto is the Italian phrase for an appetizer. It actually means “earlier than meal.”
In Italy, antipasti (the plural of antipasto) are small bites which are served earlier than dinner with a glass of wine or a cocktail. These snacks are meant to extend one’s urge for food earlier than the meal. Conventional Italian antipasti embrace cured meats like prosciutto and salami, cheeses, recent fruit, olives, bruschetta, focaccia, and extra.
Within the US, we frequently use the time period “antipasto” to consult with Italian-inspired dishes that embrace cured meats, cheeses, and/or marinated greens. I can’t say that this antipasto platter is strictly what you’d be served in Italy. Nonetheless, it definitely attracts inspiration from Italian antipasti. I hope you get pleasure from!
Antipasto Platter Components
I really like to incorporate these parts on an antipasto platter:
- Italian cheeses – I all the time embrace a tough cheese like Parmesan in addition to one or two softer ones, equivalent to fontina or provolone cheese. These marinated mozzarella balls are additionally excellent for an antipasto platter!
- Marinated gigante beans – I marinate these creamy white beans in olive oil with sun-dried tomatoes, pink pepper flakes, and herbs. Hearty and flavorful, they’re a terrific addition to an antipasto platter. Make them a day forward for the most effective taste.
- Tangy, briny issues – I like to make use of a mixture of olives, pepperoncini, and canned or jarred artichoke hearts.
- Contemporary greens – Something seasonal is truthful sport! A few of my favorites are cherry tomatoes, radicchio leaves, and recent or roasted pink peppers.
- Almonds – For crunch! Toast them to convey out their nutty taste.
- Honey or jam – These candy spreads pair properly with the wealthy cheeses. Any sort of jam works right here, however I particularly like tart cherry or fig.
- Crostini – These crisp bread slices are a terrific automobile for the cheeses and marinated beans. Crackers work too!
Word that you simply don’t want all the pieces talked about right here make a tasty appetizer board! For a easy—however nonetheless scrumptious—antipasto platter, select only one merchandise from every of those classes. Simplify extra by skipping the marinated beans.
Tips on how to Construct an Antipasto Platter
To construct an antipasto platter, begin by inserting some parts in particular person small bowls. Should you like, you may put all the pieces in its personal bowl, however you don’t must. It is best to put something that’s sticky, moist, or oily in its personal dish, equivalent to
Prepare these dishes in your serving platter, after which fill within the gaps with gadgets that may go straight on the board. These embrace
- arduous or semi-hard cheeses,
- recent greens,
- nuts,
- and crackers or crostini.
Tip: Slice some cheese earlier than you place it in your serving platter in order that company don’t must slice it themselves. As a substitute of slicing the Parmesan, break it into bite-sized items.
Elective, however extra-pretty: Garnish your board with recent herbs like parsley or basil earlier than serving.
Buon appetito!
Serving Ideas
An Italian antipasto platter pairs completely with an aperitivo, or pre-dinner drink.
Uncork a bottle of wine, or make a festive cocktail like an Aperol spritz.
Do-it-yourself lemonade is a stunning non-alcoholic possibility. Tip: Add a splash of glowing water to make it fizzy!
Extra Appetizer Platters and Boards
Should you love this antipasto platter, strive one in every of these platters or boards subsequent:
Need extra appetizer concepts? Take a look at these 50 Simple Appetizer Recipes!